The idea of Thai tapas amuses me in the same way as a large sign
in Cronulla proclaiming "Greek yum cha". If nothing else, I like
the alliteration.

Chef Virat "Nu" Suandokmai is one to confound expectations, fusing
Thai with French, Mediterranean and pan-Asian influences (and
Spanish descriptions). Alongside the 15-dish menu at his eponymous
restaurant, you'll find more than a dozen handwritten daily
specials on the board, plus a tapas menu of six morsels.

After five much-lauded years in Adelaide, Nu has reopened his Thai
restaurant on the fringes of North Sydney. In between there were
regular consultancies to big hotels in Jakarta and Bali, plus
stints at The Bathers' Pavilion and Cafe Sydney.

Born in Ayutthaya, the ancient Thai capital, he uses traditional
dishes as a springboard for new ideas. As with his forebears, Nu's
Thai is a reflection of the contemporary melting pot of which he's
a part.

His new home, a two-storey sandstone building (formerly Thai
Tanic), retains some of its heritage charm, although '70s-looking
additions - arches and textured rendered walls - skew it towards
Greek taverna. Large picture windows look out onto the street and
dark carpet contrasts with the white of the butcher's paper on
linen on the tables.

Amid the fragrant, swirling floral and citrus aromas you'd expect
of Thai food, his flavours veer towards an underlying sweetness. Of
the baker's dozen dishes I tried in two visits, there were no
serious threats on the heat front - global warming will probably
raise your temperature faster. There's a good contrast of textures
but the clarity and vibrancy wasn't always as strong as I'd
hoped.

Among the "tapas" ($9), the highlight is a betel leaf holding
fantastically sticky and crunchy cubed pork belly, scented with
kaffir lime and capped with a deep-fried (aka son-in-law) quail
egg. The prawn version has a single crustacean draped over a
sweetly sticky rubble of caramelised peanuts and coconut that's
reminiscent of marron glacé, except that it's pungent with
shrimp paste. The leaf's tartness makes a fine contrast.

Nu's "roulade" of coffee duck wraps minced prawn around house-made
peking duck, sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds and thinly
sliced. A hint of pickled plum isn't quite enough to balance the
sweet palm sugar and coffee syrup that suits the duck but verges on
cloying. Petite, spicy quail tarts use polenta for crunch and,
thanks to a sweet-and-sour sauce, have a Chinese tinge.

The mixed entree ($22) borrows from Vietnam, with prawn mince
wrapped around short spikes of sugar cane; then Japan, with spicy
tempura mussels (it's normally oysters); and Italy with deep-fried
zucchini flowers with prawn mince wrapped around the baby
vegetable, an adaptation of the Thai version using pumpkin
flowers.

Green curry with flathead ($26) surprises, too. The fish has been
converted into thin, white boudin (sausage) fingers in a rich,
coconut-creamy curry. Chunks of flesh add texture to the ethereal,
gingery boudin drifting in the sweetish curry, offset by the bitter
edge of pea eggplant and quarters of apple eggplant.

And as good as the chargrilled scallops and sea bass foo ($32) are,
finding just three of them hidden under the refreshing green mango
salad with nam jim seems too few. The wonderful golden ball of fish
foo (it's as if the flesh has been turned into crackling) on top is
shattered through the dish for crunch.

The wok-fried pork hock ($28) is reason enough to cement Nu's
reputation. The meat's crunchy exterior, having been braised in
masterstock and pressed, yields to reveal a wondrously gelatinous
interior. Chilli-plum sauce delivers a sour counterpoint to its
richness. A small roast almond, chilli and baby herb salad provides
light relief.

There's plenty of chocolate for dessert, with classics such as
the fan of sliced mango snaking around mango sorbet on its way to a
pot of black sticky rice and coconut pudding ($16). The chilli
creme brulee ($16) is about as feisty as a hippie at a love-in,
though I like the accompanying mango and mint salsa. And when the
"Thai petites fours" ($9) includes a lemongrass Turkish delight, I
can't help but leave with a wry smile.

The summary I really like Nu's intelligent, modern
Thai and the way it has been adapted for the times and place, but
in a city spoilt for choice when it comes to great Thai, it would
be good to see the heat scale turned up.Value Reasonable, though some dishes are
pricey.Chef Virat "Nu" Suandokmai.Owners Virat and Jane Suandokmai.Service Excellent, with a good wine knowledge.Food Thai.Wine Varied, good Thai-suitable small list; 14 by
the glass.Vegetarians Not as much as you'd think, but
ask.Noise Can get very loud.Score 13/20